You will notice that the company has mostly favorable reviews. But notice also that all of these reviews are from five years ago. Since then, the company has changed names, and I believe changed management. I suspect that the quality of service from this company has greatly deteriorated while the price has inflated. My experience with "TheKey" has not been favorable. In their favor, they did send me a very competent and compassionate caregiver. My wife has dementia and needs a caregiver for several hours a day. So why am I complaining? Mainly about their pricing. About a year ago, we began using their services at a price of $37 per hour. I thought this to be high, especially when I learned that the caregiver was paid about half that. In November, 22, they raised this price to $39 per hour. with a $1 per hour wage going to the caregiver. At the end of March, without notifying me, they jumped the rate to $41.34 per hour, This time, our caregiver informed me that they did not increase her wage at all. Thus over the last 4 months, they have raised their rates by about 11%. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cpi.pdf the overall consumer price index by about 5% over the year ending in March 2023 and the price index for medical services has increased by 1%. Within the last 4 months, this company has increased its prices by 11%. And we can't blame this on labor costs. While they raised their price by more than $4 per hour, it appears they raised the wage rate of the caregiver by a total of $1 per hour. It appears that although the caregiver does all the work, and the company which offers little or nothing in services charges more than twice what it pays the caregiver. On the rare occasions when our caregiver could not come, they were not able to send a substitute, and one time even billed me for the day my caregiver couldn't come. My inquiries about billing were passed on from the local office to some higher authority, who either would not respond or would respond after long delays. Because I was pleased with our caregiver, I was willing to pay a substantial ransom to the company that matched us, but their last price increase without notification was for me the last straw. I have now closed the door on the Key. After this experience, I have learned that there are a number of experienced and competent caregivers in Santa Barbara, who work independently. One can pay these people far more than they would earn from the agency and still save serious money. I suggest that anyone in need of caregiving services look around for an independent caregiver. ' read more

After researching different companies, I found three that provided services in the Santa Barbara (and surrounding) area and interviewed all of them. The company that stood out the most was Home Care Assistance (HCA) based upon their detailed responses to my page-long questions, ability to provide a customized care plan for my parent and provided outstanding services for a reasonable price. It's been close to a year that I hired Home Care Assistance (HCA) to provide 24x7 care for my parent. I've been extremely happy with the Caregivers, and more importantly, my parent still has the same staff for the entire time! To be honest, I thought this industry has high turn-over. I think it has more to do with the corporate structure in staff retention than any other variable. Other positive things I have experienced, HCA management is always more than willing to work with you to 'tweak' your client care plan based upon current realities. Specifically, Shari Asmann (former Care Manager, now their Operations Manager) ensured that her staff communicated potential risks and issues that my parent experienced without hesitation. In consultation with Ms. Asmann, we devised a communication strategy between her, the Caregivers and my brother and I. If something happened, it was quickly communicated to the family. As a result of this positive communication, I was able to quickly address minor issues before they became a real problem due to the strong relationship between HCA and the family, Caregiver commitment and their professionalism. Ms. Asmann also allowed me to actively participate in the interview process for my parent's Caregiver position. She did the initial 'vetting' and let me ask a number of poignant questions. Through good times and bad, I could be assured that HCA would respond proactively and meet my family needs without hesitation. I can literally say that HCA has been there with my parent through fire, floods, family legal challenges, my parent's health problems and so much more. Of all the problems I have dealt with in the past year, Home Care Assistance is the one constant I can count on and didn't need to resolve. I'm sure there are many managers like Ms. Asmann that work for HCA and have the knowledge and experience that can provide assurance to you that you're hiring the right company. My recommendation to you is at the very least contact Home Care Assistance for an interview and you'll see exactly why I hold them is such high esteem. If you do thorough research and interview companies like I did, I'm willing to bet Home Care Assistance will rise to the top. It's stressful enough to need to hire 24x7 care for a loved one. I cannot emphasize enough that hiring the right company can help at least alleviate some of that stress. Give them a call, it's really worth it! read more

I will be forever grateful to the team at Home Care Assistance. My late partner had ALS and required care that involved use of equipment and help with everything from dressing bathing - all daily life functions. We had worked with another agency that delivered unreliable caregivers. We tried hiring independently and realized between payroll and lack of back-up caregivers - it was more than we were willing to handle. Shari, our accountant manager was sensitive to our situation and made sure we had people in our home that not only understood that task at hand, but the personal sensitivities we had living with this horrible disease. My partner passed away, but his last days were good. Much of that because of the service we got from Shari and the staff. read more

Home Care Assistance has been one of the best companies I have worked for. I have been a caregiver for them for about 7 months and have been very pleased with the way they have treated me as an employee. Both clients and fellow caregivers have been pleased with the company as well. They truly care about the happiness of the employees as well as the clients. This isn't a company that just sends bodies out homes they take the time to match their clients with the proper caregivers. They are always available 24/7 to answer any questions. read more

Home Care Assistance is an awesome company to work for. The staff in the office work so hard to make sure the clients and the caregivers are successful and happy. One of the reasons I think it works so well is many of the office staff started as caregivers so they understand what family's and caregivers need. Their motto is changing the way the world ages and you can tell they really want to. read more

It takes a kind heart full of compassion and a bright smile to brighten someone's day and Home care Assistance has that kind of personnel. Starting from their top managers, assistants and caregivers. read more

I had an awful experience with this company, from the people being sent to care for my loved ones to the women in the office. The staffing department was always short and did not communicate about whom was going to be at the home. This company is more about the money then concerned about the health and well being of your loved one. read more

I have been caregiver with this company for a year and I love it. I've been a caregiver for 5 years now and I've never worked for a company that takes their time to check on you and make sure your doing okay and to show that they appreciate you. I like to know that I am appreciated for the work I do. Everyone that works in the office is always so nice every time I call or walk in the office. They always have a job ready for the caregivers to take if they need extra work or if they want a more permanent position with a client. They also care a lot for their clients by calling them to see how they are doing and visiting them once in awhile. Every client can rely on them and know they are always going to be given a caregiver each day so they aren't alone at any time of the day. Every client I've gotten I have created a bond because everyone in the office helps find a client that benefits your personality! I recommend this company to the elderly that need caregivers and to people that are looking for a caregiving job. read more

When the floods closed HWY 101 our regular care giver for my 96 year old mother was not able to come up from Ojai. I called Home Care Assistance and they provided someone the next day. Not only was the care giver professional, knowledgeable, and friendly, Marilyn, the Director of Client Services took the train from Ventura and Uber from Santa Barbara to make a personal visit and assessment with my mother. I can only begin to tell you how professional, efficient, and courteous these people are. Unlike a company who just send someone to 'adult babysit', this is a real care giver company. Can't sing enough praises. Bill read more

I reached out to Home Care Assistance immediately after being told my mother-in-law was going to be released to our care in two days for in home hospice. Both my husband and I had not only very little time to prepare, but had no idea what to expect or what we would need. I received a call back that very evening (8 PM) from Marilyn, who made arrangements to meet with us the next day to discuss care. What people don't know is hospice provides the basics, but most of it, including day to day care of your loved ones, is on the family. The amount of information and preparation needed in those first days is overwhelming to say the least. Ultimately, not only are you dealing with the grief of someone who has come into your home for their last days, you are dealing with the logistics of taking care of someone who can no longer care for themselves. As part of our care plan, we were assigned Ashley as our Care Manager. She has been just a life saver, especially through the first few weeks when we had absolutely no idea of what we were doing. She's been available anytime and provides invaluable advice as we navigate a constantly changing and fraught situation. They provide amazing care givers, sometimes on short notice, and all of whom we have felt relieved to have as part of her care team knowing that my mother-in-law is receiving the best care that can be provided. Star (Chrisdina) has been her primary care giver. It takes a special person to be able to care for someone in the last months of their lives. They need to be empathetic, warm, and effective, which she is and more. Her feedback and advice makes my mother-in-law's days better and helps us improve her care as well. Ashley and Star have provided us some relief and peace of mind through a very difficult time for my family. I can not recommend them enough. read more